Rider of Hope
by Belwindrae
Summary: Ona is fleeing from some untold danger. She is a con and a petty thief. But her most recent theft will prove to be much more than the simple triffle she takes it for. Will She Have The Courage To Face Her Fate Or Flee Like She Has Always Done? Find Out...


I posess no claim to the characters created by Christopher Paolini, only for those I have (hence Ona, Boren, Nata, and thier 'shifty eyed daughter'. This story will follow Eragon in another perspective, some events will be changed to benift the nature of the story. (The story will not open up with Durza, but with my main character, Ona.)

Rider Of Hope (001)

Ona grabbed the shiny stone with haste, she had not a clue what it may be, but it was now hers, the merchant should have known better than to leave it out when he attended his other goods. The lumious white stone inlaid with blue webbings looked to be priceless, why on earth would any sane man leave this out of his sight for just the briefest moment? Not that it matters now, it is hers. She scampered off dilgently into the fleeting darkness of the shadows that the hut provided. She looked down at her prize and smiled happily, finally her fortune was turning around. She placed the oddly chilly stone in her breastband, one of the only places a women is not to be searched. Ona carefully monuvered so that she was constantly in the shadows as she made her way to the stables. A fierce White Horse was digging it's hooves into the dirt and shaking it's head madly. Ona removed herself from the discreet coverage of the shadows. "Stay back woman! This is a dangerous." Ona squared her shoulder and stuck her head up high, she would have given the apperance of a noblewoman if not for the dirt that cacked her clothes from one to many night's on the pines forest floors. "I will relieve you of this nuisance for a price." Ona said evenly, an air of importance weeving around her. "And just who might ye be" The stablemaster questioned nervously. She smiled cooly, her falseity going what she wanted. "Someone you do not wish to anger." Ona said drily. The stablemaster shifted uncomfortably, What is this woman worked for the Emperor? Not showing favor to a hired would mean the end of his business, or his death? He had better just give the woman the Horse, not like she could possibly be able to tame it.

"I will give you eqiupment as well as some food from my table for your journeys." He said briskly, not wishing to get into trouble. "A Saddle, a saddlebalnkets, tacts,horse shoes, a change of clothes for myself, I could use a pair of sturdy leather riding boots myself, as well as a splendid pair of riding gloves, would hate for my hands to get callused. A blanket for myself, ham, dried vegetables, bread, and a waterskin full of water will do nicely my good man." Ona said as a satisfied smile played over her lips. She was quite the con artist she must admit, but the real prize was that no one will suffer from this transaction, this stablemaster is the wealthest in town, better than even the jewelcrafter she had just robbed. Ona moved to the horse to examine it. 17 hands, male, strong legs, sleek. Perfect, a good horse. He huffed loudly at her touch but did not attempt to fight as he did when the stablemaster had tried to teether him. She stoked the horses face, attepting to calm it, she did so. "Now, now, do not fret, we will soon have this village at are backs and the sun before us, no teethering after you get out of this mess." She muttered reasuringly to the Horse. "Here ye be." The stablemaster said balancing a monsterous bundle in his arms bridle, which he nearly dropped as he registered the sight before him. "Careful!" Ona stated harshly and balanced the goods that were falling, she had no desire to loose all of the goods she had just earned."Ye tamed the beast in just five minutes?" The stablemaster excalimed, his slow rural accent practily studdering over the words. "Does the 'beast' have a name?" Ona asked harshle as she took the saddle blanket from the stablemaster. The horse shifted when she approached, nervous. "Calm now, just to protect your skin." whispered Ona encouargily. "FairRider, he was quite thee additin' to me herd, the he had to go out and prove that he wasn't thee type 'er horse to be tamed. To be shot I was takin' him 'fore yous came." muttered the stablemaster, still in wonderment as she took the saddle from his hands and dilgently placed into onto FairRider.

Once finished equipting the horse Ona turned to the stablemaster. "I suppose it would be to much to beseech you for dinner, and a warm bath?" she asked innocently. " 'Course not, after seeinf that display, I would keep ye here if ya would stay, could use someone with a way horses as yous do, but first let me fetch ye a pack for the supply of yours, cant' be carring it around on poor FairRider without one." he mumbled and scurried off. Ona smiled at her new campaion and took off his sadle and bite. "I'm going to leave you while I get some rations, I suggest you do the same." She muttered in FairRider's ear, he nieghed in acknowlegment and scurried off to the meadow as if he had understood Ona, she shook her head in disbelief. "Here ye be, I'm Boren by the by, who might be?" He questioned as he handed Ona his finest goods in a black leather pack. "I'm Ona." she whispered quietly. "I suppose ye will be of need of 'er cloak eh? No bother, I got pleantly, I will give ye another pair of clothes and boot's the one's ye have look like they's will be fallin' off at any moment, i'll get me wife to tend to the meal, and me daughter for ye bath." he deaclared as he surveyed Ona over, she was an oddity, it is certainly nice to give back to the needy, as she so plainly is, yet there was defintly a danger to her, Boren would tread lightly as he enterained her.

Bathing was the best thing she conned out of the stablemaster, Boren. She had not known the leisure of warm water hitting her skin in almost three full months. Her oddity of a jem was with her, she didn't trust the shifty eyes of the daughter. She looked the stone curiously, she shrugged and placed it under the water, it could use the warmth that it was now lacking from her chest. She got up and hastly up the new, crisp clothes. A black tunic that fit her well enough and a pair of matching leather pants. She even recieved a new undergarments. Ona returned the stone to it's previous habitat and pulled on a pair of soft slippers that had been placed oyut and then pulled the coarse leather boots over them, Borne must have taken it to heart when she had said that she wishes not for calloused skin. There was also a cloak on laid neatly on a chair, Ona picked it up, mesmerized by how the crimsom color of it seemed to dance with invisble flames, the silkly material slid right out of her hands, she wondered if it would provide any warmth, she picked it up oncemore, she felt heat radate from the cloak. What in Alageasia? "A shade passed through here, Father told me not to tell ya, fear ti would refrain you from taking it off are hands, he gave it to us for payment of a steed." That was the firmly educated voice of Nata, The Stablemaster Boren's wife. "Bad magick." stated Ona furiously, yet not being able to release her hold of the cloak, she liked the way ot gave her warmth, the way it felt against her skin. "None, Boren wouldn't have bad Magick in this household, plus I heard he was working for Emperor Galbortix, he wouldn't be making trouble for loyal citizens then, correct?" Nata was being logical, but Ona knew anything but logical was to be expected in such times as these. "I will take it, it is better than naught a thing I suppose." Ona gritted her teeth. "Where shall I put this? I cannot verywell dine with it in my hand, that would be rude." Ona's voice was a toubh more than curt as she talked to Nata, she did not mean to be so, it is just the fact that Galbortix hench men has been through here. He could still be nearby, and Galbortix was no alley and she knew very well she couldn't stand up to a shade in a fair match, it would be impossible, she knew naught how to kill them anyways. Nata giggled. "You can place it on the back of the chair, now let's eat, you look starved."

The meal was the best Ona had known in what seemed to be ages, perhaps it was the face that the food was hot, or perhaps it was that the food was simply ajoined with the simple merriment of company, something Ona had known little of since she hit the road on foot. Once finished, Ona helped with the dishes, delaying her parting. "Me offer still stands, I could use ye here." Boren said gruffly as I dried a wooden globlet with a worn rag. Ona sighed heavily. "I would be naught but trouble for you and your family, I fear I have overstayed my welcome as is, I thank you most sincerestly, one day when I return I shall pay for you services."Ona clasped his shoulder as he clasped hers "Safe ridin' for ye." said Boren said grimly. She nodded slightly, knowing the path ahead of her was anything but safe. "Thank you once more." with those final words of parting Ona walked out of Boren's home towards the meadow, FairRider troted up to her when he spotted her. "Let us take our leave FairRider." remorse twinded aroung her words. She slipped the saddleblanket and saddle onto her new comarde and replaced the bit in his mouth. Ona galloped off into the night, but stopped at the village borders, her eyes lingered at the Stablemaster's house, she knew she was leaving her last chance of anything resembling a typical life behind her, she just did not realise how extradoinary her life would be.


End file.
